Super Cute Favor Bags...DONE DIRT CHEAP!

Really wanted the favors to say "western/ farm girl/cow girl/pony party", but stay on budget and with the customized clothes for kids I had to trim favor budget to next to nothing...

And that is what I did, but honestly, do they look like they were basically $2.75 each??

Each child will receive 4 Mare and her Foal stickers, 6 western tattoos,  a ring, a mini western coloring book, and mini western crayons {ORIENTAL TRADING had a sale on western items I used in favor bags so really was CHEAP!!} as well as a customized homemade sheriff badge, bandana and cow boy hat once they arrived. [Now the hats and bandanas were not included in the $2.75/BAG price I included them in the decoration budget, but they were steal too only $1 each on sale!!]

I originally wanted to print directly on the bags, Like I pinned in pinterest here, so I got my printer set to the right settings, but once I tried to print it wouldn't grab the bag not sure what the trick is, still irks me that I couldn't figure it out- I wanted it to have a more authentic western look than it does... but it still looks great in my opinion.

I took regular lunch sacks and since the bags wouldn't print as I wanted, I still printed on paper with the same settings I would have used to print directly on the sacks, then used a paper trimmer with a wave blade.  I really wanted it to look like a wanted poster and was considering using the tags from Old West, then print it, but honestly was feeling "done'ish" so I went with the wave blade on the trimmer, then used a cream chalk and chalked the edges with a charcoal smoke look to age the paper edges some.

I used the font, "bleeding cowboys" and wrote this:

"Happy trails partner! Kissi's much obliged you attended her 4th Birthday Fandango!"

The left over paper from the tags I used as a topper to bags to look more finished, professional, and deliberate. I drew on cow spots, trimmed to size of sack, folded down and attached with double sided tape,  & then used a hole punch and punched 2 holes...so far the project has been free, the bags I had & the paper I used was laser printer paper all it has taken is ingenuity and about 5 minutes of my time.

I used left over ribbon I bought last year for Izak's Elmo Party favor, guests left his party with several adorable items including customized crayon roll and customized hair bows I made: click here to see the party. The tags I cut from Old West @ 3" I used the one with jagged edges to resemble a star badge, I used a sharpie to write in names and attached w/jute rope. The ribbon was free already paid for last June, the jute rope was from a project years ago, the name tag paper I used upcycled brown grocery bags. 

Really the $2.75 price tag didn't' come from the bags themselves it came from the goodies in side the bag... I don't really think anyone will truly understand the happy-joy-joy feelings I get with the results and that it didn't cost me one red cent to make the favor bags and they look so stinking adorable!! Doesn't take me much to make me happy, does it??

Name Plates w/western names for buffet

I tried to think of as many uses for the brown grocery bags as possible, I nearly bought a roll of brown Kraft paper, but with the tight budget I had to find places to cut the budget so I could include food in the squeaky tight budget plus have the "cuteness factor"enter... grocery bags!

I had several brown grocery bags and though typically on grocery store trips I will use my earth friendly reusable recycled bags, but sometimes you forget the bags at home or don't want to carry home meat in the bags so I had about 6 or 7  bags. 2 bags I used to cover 2 cereal boxes to make a holder for the s'more campfire marshmallows {here's the post showcasing the marshmallow holders}, several bags I used to make bunting "Happy Birthday with Old West Fonts",  and 3 bags I cut into 12" X 12" pieces of paper. Out of each bag you get 3, 12"X12" pieces of paper and scraps from bottoms I used Old West Cricut Cartridge and cut them into "wanted signs" @ 4" and chalked the edges and made name plates for food buffet.

As I write this I still have several 12"X12" brown bag pieces of paper, might come up with a project or two- perhaps add wanted posters guests can draw of themselves...dunno?? I already made several 3" wanted poster tags and they look so cute I think I will might them bigger and hang them around the room or add to tables maybe use as an ice breaker at beginning after kids get dressed up in hat and bandana?

mini buntings are for cake topper & other uses I will think of later...STOP looking at my messy desk!!

Funny once you start looking around your house you see items in a different light and items you would just toss in the recycle bin or even possibly the trash can be upcycled in an unexpected way that scream "Cuteness Factor"!!
Linked to 30 Days handmade  , Raising Homemakers andGrowing Home